


Practice Makes Perfect

by Misskiku



Series: Bederia Goodness [22]
Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), F/M, Fluff, Pining, Slow Burn, THIS IS A SLOW BURN GUYS, because they're teenagers in my fics, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:34:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28046256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misskiku/pseuds/Misskiku
Summary: Gloria goes to the Fairy Gym one afternoon as part of her duties as the Champion, but there's another, more personal reason she's there.There's something she needs to ask Bede.
Relationships: Beet | Bede/Yuuri | Gloria
Series: Bederia Goodness [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1630534
Comments: 14
Kudos: 89





	Practice Makes Perfect

**Author's Note:**

> So. This fic went places I hadn't originally planned for it to go, so... um... DON'T HATE ME FOR THIS.

Nerves flittered around in Gloria's stomach. She'd come to Ballonlea for a legitimate reason, and she'd dropped by on random occasions before, so she couldn't figure out why it felt like she'd inhaled a swarm of Combee as she headed for the Gym. Clad in her Champion gear, she kept her head high as she strode through the doors. A ripple of excitement spread across the lobby at the unexpected sight of her. There wasn't an exhibition match scheduled today, and Galar was in the final weeks of the lead up to the next League Challenge, so few expected they'd have a chance to spy the Champion in Ballonlea's Gym that afternoon. 

Whispers of Gloria's name and title echoed from all directions as eager fans sized up an opportunity to approach. It made her feel like a target. Like a tasty morsel in front of a pack of starved, ravenous beasts. It was shameful to see her fans like that, it wasn't fair on them, and so Gloria slid a friendly mask in place and smiled. She waved to the people around her like Leon always had, pretending instead that she was impersonating the ex-Champion, that she had all his confidence and charm. It came easier to her like that. As though appealing to fans was nothing more than a game. 

The League Staff let her pass through to the stadium, and she gratefully marched on ahead. Beneath the glaring stadium lights stood Bede and one of the Gym Trainers, equidistant apart from the centre of the pitch. Ms Opal and the other Gym Trainers were off to the side, and Gloria waited on the sidelines opposite them as Bede's Hatterene delivered the final blow to Aromatisse. The air was hot and heavy, and the nerves in her belly contracted all at once, fluttering to life when a satisfied smile bloomed across Bede's face.

For some reason, she recalled suddenly what had happened between them a few nights ago, after the incident that led to Bede keeping what would have been her Togepi. The night he'd teleported into her room and she'd pushed him away, only to seek him out and ended up climbing in through his bedroom window in the early hours of the morning. Her brain latched onto the memory of her crying in his arms, blurting out apology after apology. 

And, among it all, she'd told Bede that she loved him. 

It was in that very moment that he noticed her. The post-match gleam in his eyes made her heart skip when their eyes met. Bede positively glowed with sweat and adrenaline, his smile exhilarated and breathless and trained directly on her. He accepted a towel from one of the Gym Trainers and headed over to Gloria as he patted away the beads of sweat on his brow. With every step he came closer, her heart beat louder, and firmer, and she heard once again her own voice in her ears, professing her love for him. 

_Why am I remembering that now?!_

She sucked in a breath, her lungs feeling too tight and stiff in her chest, and tried to compose herself before Bede reached her. 

She did love him. Obviously she did, otherwise she wouldn't have said it, but the recollection sent nerves skittering down her spine- the recollection of what she'd said, that she'd repeated it twice afterwards, and the fact that Bede was smiling at her with a post-adrenaline high. She could practically see the endorphins lighting up his eyes. 

_Get your head on straight,_ she chided herself. _You said it as a friend, nothing more, and he knows that!_

Bede stood before her. Gloria swallowed and focused on his eyes, not the lock of his sweat-damp hair that curled over his brow. It was so tempting to reach up and tuck it back into place. She itched to run her fingers through his soft curls, to sweep his drooping fringe off his face, and the urge hit her so suddenly she almost jolted in place, wondering where on earth that desire came from. 

_His eyes. Focus on his eyes, damn it!_

"H-Hey." She sounded as breathless as he looked. "How're things going?" 

"As well as they should," he said, flashing that all too dangerous grin of his. "What brings you here? I trust you haven't come to scope out your competition before the next League Challenge? If you have, I'm afraid you'll be sorely disappointed. That was my last practice match for today." 

The heat in his eyes burned with the insinuated challenge of his words, and Gloria's heart thumped heavily in response. She couldn't help but meet his provocation with her own. 

"What, giving up already? I didn't realise you were confident enough to stop so early." She matched his grin, buzzing inside as though she were the one feeling the aftereffects of an adrenaline-fueled battle. "Or are you worried I'll spot the flaws in your strategy if you battle in front of me?"

"I can't reveal all my secrets to you just yet," he said, running his fingers through his fringe and tossing the curls off his brow. "How else will I keep our battles invigorating if you know what to expect?" 

With the way her heart was racing in her chest, he didn't need to come up with a new strategy to invigorate her. 

Gloria cleared her throat and decided she needed to change the subject. 

"So, uh, are you guys prepared for the next League Challenge?" she asked, using that as an excuse to look elsewhere. "I'm checking out the Gyms to make sure everything's in order before it starts again."

"Well, you needn't have bothered yourself in coming here. It should have been obvious to you that I'd have everything in order well in advance," he said proudly.

"That's pretty much what everyone else said." Gloria gave a sheepish laugh. "Guess I didn't need to worry myself over it, or do it all in one day." 

"You visited all the Gyms in a single day?"

He pinned her to the spot with an incredulous stare. 

She couldn't help but shrug and laugh at herself. "I may have gotten a bit excited when they told me it was one of my duties to check how the preparations for the next League Challenge was going. At least I saved the best for last," Gloria teased.

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Bede harrumphed, folding his arms. He glanced elsewhere with a disgruntled frown on his face. 

She fought back a pout, having hoped for a greater reaction to her comment. Bede's unamused huff made it all worth it anyway, and helped ease the churning in her stomach enough that she could speak up about the real reason she'd saved Ballonlea's Gym for last. 

"You said you were done for today, right?" Gloria paused as Bede turned back to her, and she tried to gauge his mood as best she could. 

"That's correct." 

He studied her again, searched her eyes, and she began to warm beneath his gaze. She cursed the effect his gorgeous violet eyes had on her- it was difficult to focus when he looked at her like that. 

"Well, you know how you said the other day that I could visit Togepi whenever I wanted?" She pursed her lips, took a breath before continuing, "were you serious about that?" 

Her heart thumped steadily in her chest as her question hung in the air, and she twiddled her fingers together absently when Bede's eyes shifted from hers once again. 

"Of course I was serious," he huffed, "I would hardly joke about something like that." 

Relief filled her lungs with a gasp, and she lifted up on her toes in glee towards him. 

"Then- Then can I visit her?" Unable to contain her elation, Gloria shot forward, hands clasped in front of her chest. "Please? Can I see her today?" 

He blinked at her for a second of shock before composing himself. Bede sighed, "I suppose I can make time for that today." 

"Yes!" Gloria pumped her fists excitedly.

"Give me a moment to shower and change, and I'll meet you out the back," he said, turning on his heels and marching for the stadium doors. 

Gloria skipped to catch up with him, her heart soaring. "Sure thing! I'd rather wait out the back than in the lobby. You've got tons of fans waiting for you there!" 

"They're wasting their time," Bede scoffed. "Surely they have better things to do than hover around my Gym." 

"I was surprised how many there were! The Gym Challenge hasn't even started yet and you've already drawn a crowd!" 

A scowl settled across his face, unimpressed by the nature of his fans, and he let out another sigh as they approached the locker room. Bede paused, hand reaching for the doorknob, and glanced at Gloria. 

"I won't be long," he said. "Regardless, try not to get into any trouble while I'm gone."

"What-?!" 

Gloria gasped, a fire igniting in her lungs with fierce indignation, but before she could give Bede a piece of her mind, he slipped through the door and left her fuming outside. The smirk he'd flashed during his quick escape lingered in her mind. A devious, smug grin that told her he knew exactly what he was doing. Riling her up, toying with her, making her heart skip. His eyes had twinkled with soft amusement when he'd teased her. 

Rather than poking at her faults, her tendency to get into messes all the time, instead of his words cutting into her weakness and hitting her where it hurt, this was Bede's way of showing that he cared. It almost felt like an inside joke between them, and she couldn't help but wonder if he'd meant it that way. That thought turned over and over in her mind as she headed through the Gym and out the back doors. 

As she waited in silence, Gloria's heart maintained its rapid pace in her chest. Every glance she shot at her phone made the minutes drag on, distorting time itself to make it feel like a lifetime and a half before the doors opened behind her. Gloria jumped, whirling to see Bede quirk an eyebrow at her, amused by her fright. His platinum blond curls were slightly damp from his shower, the heat of the water having left his cheeks glowing a warm pink- the sight of him like that made Gloria swallow. 

"Done already?" she asked, hiding the squeak of her voice behind a cough. "That was quick."

He strode past her, the corners of his lips lifting as he said, "haven't you heard that it's rude to keep a girl waiting?" 

Gloria's breath hitched. 

"Ms Opal tell you that?" she tried to quip back with the same casual tone he'd thrown at her, but her heart stammered and she stumbled after him in order to not be left behind. 

"That, among other things." 

Bede slowed his pace to match hers, the silent gesture softening Gloria's heart as they walked the short route to Ms Opal's house. 

At least this time she would be entering through the front door. She hadn't been in Ms Opal's house much, opting to visit the Fairy Gym if she needed either Ms Opal or Bede instead, and found it daunting to be inside the cozy building. 

"Should I hide my bag this time?" Gloria joked.

"No need. She's well aware that you're here." 

Gloria blinked at Bede as he disappeared into his room to deposit his bag before returning. He said it so casually, so matter-of-factly. It stunned her for a moment. 

"She does?" Gloria slid her bag off her shoulders and placed it neatly on the floor by the kitchen counter "Will she be coming here soon, then?"

"No. The old ba-" Bede cut himself off and cleared his throat, _"-Ms Opal_ has kindly decided to give us some 'alone time.'" His expression soured as the tips of his ears flushed with the rest of his face. "Her words, not mine." 

"O-Oh."

"This works in our favour. It'll be easier if we're alone, anyhow." 

Gloria's heart thumped. "It… it will?" 

"You wanted to see Togepi, correct? She remains rather timid around people, so it will be better if it's just the two of us here."

 _Oh._

"Yeah, of course!" She nodded quickly, shaking off the nerves that had taken hold in her confusion. 

_It was about Togepi. Duh._

Arceus, she could feel her cheeks begin to burn, and she could've died on the spot when Bede noticed and smirked at her. 

"Why, were you hoping for something else that requires us to be alone instead?" he asked. 

"Of course not!" She pouted, trying to fight the embarrassment off her face. "You just confused me, that's all…!" 

A breath of laughter escaped Bede. Amusement twinkled in his eyes, and it stole all the air from Gloria's lungs. She puffed out her cheeks and glared at the kitchen counter so she didn't have to suffer another moment under the dazzling warmth of his gaze. Her annoyance fractured under the stammering of her heart, and that made her pout firmer and harder. It was impossible to stay miffed at him when he laughed like that. That rare sound, however brief, plucked the very strings of her heart. 

"Why don't you choose which tea you'd like to try?" Bede offered. 

Sweet mirth lightened his voice, making the beat of Gloria's heart sing to his rhythm. She realised then that she was glaring at the packets of tea neatly stacked on the counter, and decided to focus on them instead of how delightful Bede sounded when he was trying not to laugh. 

Somehow, it didn't bother her in the slightest that his amusement stemmed from her embarrassment. If anything, she no longer felt embarrassed at all. 

"Hmm…" Gloria murmured to herself as she studied the tea packets one by one. "Which one do you like the most? Have you tried them all?" 

"Tea is more Ms Opal's thing. Of course, I drink it when offered, but I don't particularly have a preference." 

"So, you don't have a favourite?" Gloria picked out the Cherubi-inspired tea leaves, and passed it over to Bede. A fruity, aromatic tea was just what she was craving. 

"I never said that." 

She looked over at him as he scooped the leaves into the teapot, his gaze concentrated on his hands. Bede's eyes flicked in her direction for a split second before darting away. He shoved the tea packet down and grabbed the kettle as he marched over to the sink. 

"What's your favourite, then?" Gloria asked. 

Running water filled the kettle and the silence between them, before Bede turned towards the stove, his back facing Gloria. 

"I suppose, if I had to choose a blend…" He was quieter now, his words punctuated by the click of the stove as a flame bloomed to life beneath the kettle. "Applin tea is rather nice." 

"Really?" Gloria could hardly believe it, and she gasped, "that's my favourite too!" 

Bede cleared his throat. "Well, anyway, you should have a seat. Since the whistling of the kettle will most likely frighten Togepi, I was planning to bring her out after that's done." 

Gloria beamed a smile that Bede couldn't see with his back turned to her, and she grabbed her bag and took a seat at the dining table. 

"I've got something for Togepi, too. Just a little gift I hope will make her less scared of me," she said.

"What sort of gift?"

"Nope, not telling you now! You'll just have to wait and see." 

Bede raised an eyebrow in silent bemusement. 

"How's she doing, by the way?" Gloria asked. "Is she getting along with the rest of your team?" 

"She's slowly warming up to them." A soft smile grew on his face. "Togepi remains terrified of any person other than me- however, she's beginning to open up to my Pokemon. Gardevoir and Hatterene adored her instantly, but she seems more comfortable with Sylveon. Mawile, on the other hand, can't get anywhere near her." 

He sighed, but his expression remained gentle. 

"Sounds like you've got your hands full there," Gloria laughed. 

It wasn't long before the kettle whistled to life and the tea steeped away in the teapot on the dining table. Bede readied Togepi's Great Ball, glancing one final time towards Gloria as she sat up straight, cradling her backpack to her chest on her lap. 

Excitement and trepidation swirled together in her stomach in a mix that made her giddy and nauseous at the same time. She nodded to Bede, remembering the gift she'd prepared in her bag, and swallowed. 

"I'm ready," she said. 

He looked into her eyes for a moment. Gloria felt his gaze on her, and she fixed her attention on the dark wooden grain of the table. Held her breath and waited. Prepared herself for what was to come. 

Light beamed from the Great Ball, swirling into a bright mass on the dining table in front of Bede. The blinding form burst in a spray of light to reveal Togepi. Gloria's heart thumped in her chest as the baby Pokemon blinked, sleepily and dazed, before chiming happily at Bede. Togepi trotted closer to her Trainer, feet patting away on the table. She hadn't spotted Gloria yet. Adoration for her Trainer came before anything else, and Gloria watched on silently with her breath caught in her throat. 

"It's nice to see you too," Bede said. 

His expression softened into a gentle smile as Togepi nuzzled into his hand. Gloria's heart squeezed warmly. She found herself smiling as well, unable to hold back her whimsical grin. Seeing Bede so unabashedly tender with Togepi sent all sorts of emotions fluttering away in her chest. 

"Gloria has come over to visit," he said, motioning towards her with the hand Togepi wasn't currently snuggling up to. "You remember her, right?" 

Togepi turned to face Gloria. Forget facing down a mob of excitable and expectant fans, nothing was more terrifying for her than the split second where Togepi's eyes widened, when the baby Pokemon stiffened. Their eyes met in a tense, breathless moment. 

Bede plopped his hand atop Togepi's head, and she trilled beneath his comforting gesture. 

"Gloria told me she's brought you a gift," he said, ruffling Togepi's crown gently. He glanced at the Champion, the intent in his eyes clear as day. 

He'd thrown her a lifeline, given her a chance. Togepi blinked at Gloria, a mixture of unease and wonder furrowing her tiny brow. 

"I picked it out especially for you," Gloria said, seizing the opportunity Bede had opened up for her. 

She dug through her backpack and pulled out a small plastic lunchbox. Inside there were a couple of almond-shaped sweets, each just large enough to fit in the palm of her hand. Gloria plucked one from the lunchbox, and held it up for Togepi to see between her fingers. 

"They're special treats for Pokemon, called poffins," she said. "I thought you might like to try one." 

Togepi glanced between the bright pink poffin and Gloria. The baby Pokemon remained fixed at Bede's side, unmoving and unconvinced. That much was to be expected. 

"Could you give it to her?" Gloria asked, and offered the sweet to Bede. "I don't think she'll accept it from me." 

"Good idea." 

Bede took the poffin, meeting Gloria's eyes with a brief, apologetic smile, before holding the treat out to Togepi. 

"Why don't you give it a try?" he said. "You don't come across poffins in Galar very often." 

Togepi's petite nose twitched as she took in the sugary sweet scent of the poffin, and her eyes widened in delight. With a bright trill, she snatched it off Bede's palm and nibbled away at the treat. Relief surged through Gloria. She sighed, exhaling all the pent-up tension in her body.

"She likes it…!" It came out as a whisper, breathless and giddy. Faint beneath the widening smile on her face. 

"Trying to win Togepi's heart through food, I see," Bede said, appraising Gloria with a curious grin. 

"Hey, it'd work on me," she laughed. 

"Perhaps I should try it sometime, then." 

Gloria's heart skipped. Rather, it thumped heavily in her chest, hard enough to steal her breath and cause her to shoot her eyes towards Bede in shock. He was smirking. A teasing glint brightened his eyes, and Gloria flushed. 

"A-Arceus, Bede!" she huffed, "I-I thought you were serious for a second!" 

She pouted, pursing her lips as a furious heat flooded her cheeks. Her heart drummed, thundered and pounded at a dizzying pace, so loud in her ears she desperately hoped Bede wouldn't hear it. 

His smirk remained. "Who said I wasn't?" 

Gloria grumbled incoherently at him. His teasing, that dangerous smirk of his, rendered her unable to speak or protest, and nothing but a strangled squawk would form in her throat. 

_With a smile like that, no wonder Bede has so many fans…_

She huffed and pointedly turned away from him, and poured herself a cup of the Cherubi tea. Her mouth and throat had gone dry, and she didn't care that the tea was close to scalding- Gloria quickly gulped a few mouthfuls anyway. 

"Gosh, you're going to give me a heart attack if you keep saying things like that." She held her hand over her heart, felt it drum against her fingertips. 

"That's payback for all the times you've almost made my heart stop," Bede said. "Since you've already taken decades off my life, it's only fair that I do the same to you on occasion." 

Gloria huffed. The way he was teasing her felt completely different to the times she'd given Bede the fright of his life when they'd scouted the Wild Area together. It didn't feel even remotely fair. 

Togepi finished munching on her poffin, and trilled contentedly. She smiled at Gloria. Bright and satisfied, no trace of fear on her face. Nothing but pink poffin crumbs around her mouth. 

"Was that tasty?" Bede asked. "You've made a mess of yourself here." 

He collected the crumbs off Togepi's cheeks with his thumb, the tender smile on his face softening his eyes. His voice was gentle, so sweet and, in a way, almost fatherly- 

"You know, I think you'd make a good father." 

The words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself. Bede gaped at her. Eyes wide, mouth falling open, he stared in shock as a wave of heat rose up his neck to colour his face, and ears, a furious crimson. Shock snapped into a scowl, and Gloria realised she'd overstepped a line. 

"S-Sorry!" she squawked, holding her hands up in meek surrender. "I didn't mean anything by it, I just- you looked so sweet just now, like- like a father, and I-I wasn't thinking, I just said it but Arceus, I should've realised something like that would upset you!" 

"I-It's fine." Bede forced his attention back to Togepi, and finished cleaning the crumbs off her face. "It didn't... _upset_ me." 

Gloria's heart flopped. "Are you sure? It was really insensitive of me to say something like that, Arceus. I'm sorry." 

Togepi chirped at Bede, and plodded over to him with her tiny arms raised. He scooped her up against his chest, cradling her like a baby, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. 

"I said that it's fine," Bede repeated. "I understand where you were coming from, so you don't have to apologise for it." 

The scowl that had hardened his expression faded into a bashful frown, a blush still high on his cheeks, and there it was again- that thought, the realisation, that Bede had the love and tenderness of a parent. A father. It made Gloria's heart squeeze tight. 

"Can- Can I get a picture of you two?" she asked as her chest filled with a rush of adoration, of things she couldn't explain. She wanted to capture this moment, to make it her own. 

"What? Why?" His frown was back. Confused and slightly mortified by Gloria's request. 

"Just because! You two look so adorable like that, I _need_ to get a picture of it!" 

"I hardly think that's something you _need."_

"Please, Bede?" Gloria pouted, puffing her cheeks and pleading until his eyes skipped away from hers. 

_Fine. If he was going to be difficult about it…_

_Then she would be too._

"She was meant to be my Pokemon in the first place…" 

Bede stiffened. His jaw tightened, then relaxed, and he sighed. Heavily. 

"I suppose a picture would be fine," he said, and turned back to her. "As long as it remains for _personal use only."_ He emphasized that last part, but Gloria couldn't care less as she'd gotten her way, _and_ her chance for a picture.

"I'm not gonna share it with anyone, don't worry." Gloria scoffed. A smile crept over her face as she fished out her phone and trained the camera on him. "This is for my eyes only." 

Bede gave her a flat, less-than-impressed stare. 

"Aw, come on. At least smile for me!" 

"I don't smile on command." 

"You so do! I've seen you smile like a prince for your fans!" She pointed that out, letting a hint of bitterness into her voice. "You're fine being all Prince Charming for your fans, but not for your Champion?" 

He never smiled like that for her. 

"That's because I have no reason to fake a smile around you," he said quietly. He then drew a breath, wiping his expression clean, and smiled. 

And Arceus, it was a _smile._ It was Prince Charming and more, breathtaking and entrancing as his violet eyes warmed. His lips pulled into a smile that set something fluttering away in Gloria's stomach, and she almost forgot what she was doing, why he was smiling like that at her in the first place, and managed to focus the camera on him. Her thumb trembled over the screen as she took picture after picture, too many to count.

It felt like all the blood in her entire body had flooded her face in an instant. 

"Phew, my heart skipped for a moment there!" Gloria said. She laughed at herself, at the giddy rush of heat that clouded her mind. 

Bede blinked. His bewitching smile faded into a look of surprise, and he cleared his throat. He looked thoughtful for a second, almost confused. As though cogs were turning behind his eyes. 

Had she said something strange? 

"I should return Togepi," Bede said. "As comfortable as she is now, it wouldn't be wise to keep pushing our luck more than we already have." 

"Alright." Gloria smiled at Togepi, the baby Pokemon tilting her head at the Champion. "I'll see you some other time, then. Soon, I hope!" 

"If we're to get her comfortable around you, then the more often you visit, the better." 

Bede returned Togepi to her Great Ball, finally taking a seat opposite Gloria and poured himself a cup of Cherubi tea. 

"Thanks for that," Gloria said. 

Slowly, she traced her thumb around the rim of her teacup, feeling the warmth bleed into her palms. The sweet, fruity smell was calming and pleasant, and she smiled softly as, for the first time that day, she felt at ease. 

"I needed a pick-me-up, and seeing Togepi so happy really helped." 

Bede glanced at her over the top of his cup as he took a slow sip. "Did something happen?" 

"Not yet." Her smile became strained. Tight. "I've… got an interview tomorrow that's kinda stressing me out." 

"You agreed to an interview? With whom?" 

Gloria pressed her lips together. The nerves were back in her stomach, churning into a jumbled, nauseous mess. 

"A magazine for young girls, teens mostly. It's called Galar Girls." 

The clink of her nail against the side of her teacup punctuated the silence. Anxious, fidgety tapping. 

"Why'd you agree to it if it stresses you out so much?" Bede asked. 

His gaze dropped to her hands, to where she kept tapping the nail of her index finger against the ceramic. She stopped. Gripped the teacup tight once again. 

"They kind of… made it seem important," Gloria sighed. "Since I'm a role model, and all these girls look up to me, that sort of thing. I couldn't say no…" 

"What is it about the interview that has you so stressed, then?" Bede asked. "It's not as though you haven't done interviews before."

Her expression turned sour. "You've never read a teen girl's magazine, I gather?" 

"I can't imagine why." 

"Well, I hadn't either until the other day. I read through some of their past interviews, and… they're full of questions about love, romance, dating, that sort of stuff." 

Gloria slumped in her chair, heaving a long, drawn-out sigh. 

"Why did I even agree to it in the first place? she muttered. 

The tea had lost its calming effect, and she sipped at it absently. 

"So?" 

Gloria blinked at Bede. He looked at her expectantly, an eyebrow raised. 

"So…?" she echoed back. 

"So what are you going to do about it? You dislike talking about love, balk at the very idea of it, yet you've agreed to an interview that's to take place tomorrow where you'll be asked questions on that very topic." 

Bede lay out her predicament point blank, not mincing his words in the slightest. 

"The way I see it, you've got two options; you can either suffer through the interview, potentially revealing to your fans how uncomfortable you are with love, or give up completely and refuse to partake in it, which would essentially be running away from your problems." 

"There's no way I'm giving up!" Gloria straightened, facing Bede down stubbornly. "I said I'd do the interview, so I will. I'm not going back on my word." 

A satisfied twinkle brightened Bede's eyes. His lips pulled into a smile as though he'd expected her to say that all along. Satisfied with her answer, with her determination. 

Satisfied with her will to fight. 

"So." He leant back, crossed his arms, and met her stubborn stare with a playful smirk. "What are you going to do now? You can't very well turn up unprepared and hope for the best. You're not exactly an expert at masking your emotions." 

"Then…" Her heart thumped. "I'll just have to prepare somehow." 

"And how will you do that?" 

The idea struck her the moment he asked. 

"I've got it!" She shot up straight, clasping her hands together in delight. "You can help me!" 

Surprised by her outburst, Bede just stared at her for a few seconds. 

"I've just got to practice!" Gloria continued, "that way, I'll already have the answers in my head to any question they could ask tomorrow! It's like acting, I need to learn my lines." 

"I suppose that's one way to go about it." The shock wore off Bede's face, and he smiled at her, amused and intrigued. 

She nodded. "Would you mind helping me? You can go through some of their old interviews and ask me similar questions, give me pointers, that sort of thing." 

"Since I am a part of Ballonlea's Theatre, and this could be considered a form of acting, I don't see why not. It should be entertaining one way or another." 

"Thank you!" Gloria beamed. 

Her nerves began to taper off, determination steeling itself in her chest like a steadily growing blaze. Fueled by her stubborn willpower, her desire to not give up, she felt like she finally had some control over the situation, the interview, the outcome of tomorrow. 

With their tea refilled, Gloria sipping away happily, Bede searched up past Galar Girl interviews on his phone and quickly skimmed through them. 

"Well, it's not the trashiest magazine out there, I'll give you that," he teased, "but perhaps you should research the people asking for an interview before you agreed to it next time." 

"Oh, hush. All teen girl mags are like that." Gloria huffed, before pausing. "At least, I think they are." 

Bede raised an eyebrow, making Gloria hide her pout behind her teacup as she sipped. 

"Alright. Are you ready to begin, then?" 

Gloria swallowed her mouthful of tea and nodded. "Hit me." 

His eyes skimmed across the screen of his phone, before lifting to meet hers. Before she could read anything in his gaze, the strange way he was looking at her, he spoke. 

"What's your type?" 

"My… type?" She thought for a moment. "I guess… that'd be the Fire Type, since my first Pokemon was Scorbunny, and-" 

"Not _Pokemon_ type," Bede sighed, cutting her off. "The question is asking about what type of _person_ you find attractive." 

"It's _what?!"_

"Arceus. You don't even know that much?" 

Embarrassment burned across Gloria's cheeks. "Well, _sorry_ I didn't know that! It's worded so weirdly, how am I supposed to know that's what they're actually asking?!" 

"I thought you said you'd read through some of their interviews before."

Gloria pouted, sounding a grumble in her throat. 

"You really haven't done any preparation for this at all, have you?" 

"Fine, fine. You got me!" she huffed, "I just skimmed the questions. I didn't want to read about people gushing about love or whatever." 

Her stomach squirmed just thinking about it. 

"It seems we've got quite a bit of work ahead of us," Bede sighed, "if you don't even know what a question about your type means." 

"I still think that's a weird thing to ask." Gloria folded her arms stubbornly. "Why not just ask outright what kind of person they like? I mean, I don't get why anyone wants to know stuff like this in the first place…" 

"Make sure you keep that to yourself tomorrow. Romance articles appear to be their biggest selling point, and you don't want to offend your young, impressionable fans." 

Sarcasm dripped from his voice, and Gloria rolled her eyes at him. 

"Don't worry, I know when to keep my mouth shut." 

"I'm not so sure about that," he teased lightly. "Anyway, you haven't answered the question yet. What's your type?" 

The pointed stare she gave him faded as he repeated the question that stumped her. The first question, and she was already lost. 

"I… don't know. What am I supposed to say? I don't have a type, I've never fallen for anyone." 

She shrugged, feeling strangely embarrassed by admitting that. Bede already knew she'd never liked anyone like _that_ , yet it felt weird to discuss it so casually with him. 

"What about you?" 

She needed to shift the focus, to take the attention off herself for a moment. She felt too warm, too stiff, too nervous, and it only worsened when she held Bede's gaze. 

"What about me?" He repeated her question back, and she shifted awkwardly in her chair. 

"Do you have a type?" 

Silence. 

Gloria regretted asking when her heart thumped in her ears, nervous energy skittering through her veins. Bede looked at her. Just looked at her for a moment, his expression unchanging, as though she'd frozen him stiff by her question. 

_Maybe she shouldn't have asked-_

"Why do you want to know?" he muttered, propping his elbow on the table and resting his fist against his cheek. He stared at her over his knuckles, stared her down. 

"I-" _Why had she asked that?_ "I thought… maybe you could give me an example of what to say…?"

The discomforted furrow of his brow eased. 

"Right. I suppose that makes sense," he said beneath his breath, before signing. He dropped his hand away from his cheek and leant back again. "When answering questions like this, it's best to remain vague and unspecific. The last thing you want is to give the impression that you're referring to a particular person. If they can link what you've said to someone you know, they'll latch onto that and start all sorts of rumours." 

Gloria grimaced. "Yeah, there's already a ton of rumours about me out there, I don't want to add any fuel to the fire…" 

"Exactly." 

"So… how would you answer it?" Gloria asked again, "if you were asked what your type was?" 

His eyes skipped away from hers. "My type would be… someone who says what they mean, who doesn't hide their intentions from others." 

She found herself leaning forward, letting his words, his answer, fall over her. 

"Someone who strives to be better, stronger, who never fails to challenge me, and accepts their faults, uses them to her- to _their_ advantage." Bede's brow twitched, his lips twisting, as he began to blush. "They're- They'd be someone who tries to see the best in people, who… brings out the best in me. I don't- I wouldn't have to put on an act in front of them, I could be myself around them." 

He cleared his throat, reached for his cup of tea and drank quietly for a moment. His eyes landed back on her. 

"There. Is that enough to satisfy you?" 

Heat swam behind his eyes, across his cheeks. It left Gloria startled. She blinked at him, her heart still racing from his honesty, the ardor coating every word he'd said. 

She nodded slowly. "Is that what you meant about being vague? I don't think I know anyone like that." 

Bede stared at her blankly, the blush draining from his face, before he sighed. "Yes, that's exactly what I was getting at."

"I see…" It made more sense now. "So, that's the kind of person you like?" 

"You're getting off track," Bede huffed, scowling at her. "Who I like has no bearing on our practice." 

"Who you like? Does that mean-" 

_"Gloria."_

He silenced her with a hard stare. Something flashed behind his eyes, something heated and dark, and it made her heart thump as she realised what she'd said, what she'd been about to ask. 

_Does… Does that mean Bede has someone he-?_

She'd never thought about that before, and it stole her breath, her voice, and she stared down at her empty cup of tea as her cheeks began to burn. 

"Sorry, I shouldn't have…" She swallowed thickly, her voice coming out tight and strained. 

_She wanted to know._

The question was on her lips again, forming on her tongue. It filled her mind. Made her pulse skip and dance beneath her skin, under his gaze, her curiosity getting the better of her. 

It surprised her- that she'd care about _this_ when love had never even piqued her interest before. 

"So- So I should just, say stuff like that?" Gloria asked, trying to get her mind back on track. 

_Focus. Now isn't the time for… for whatever it is you're thinking about!_

"Since you've never had feelings for anyone before, it would be better for you to answer with the kind of traits you appreciate in a friend," Bede said. "That would be much easier for you, wouldn't it?" 

She nodded with greater enthusiasm than needed. "Y-Yeah, it would. That'd work." 

"Alright, then try and answer it yourself. How would you respond?" 

_The kind of traits she appreciated in a friend…_

She met Bede's eyes. 

_Thump_. Her heart skipped, and she suddenly couldn't think of anyone else, anyone but Bede.

"My type is… someone who I feel comfortable around," Gloria began. The pounding of her heart grew louder in her ears with every word. "Time seems to fly when we spend time together, and just being with them makes a bad day so much better." 

She couldn't look at him now. Her eyes fell to her teacup, the fluttering in her lungs, her chest, pushing her heart into her throat. 

"The kind of person who doesn't expect me to be perfect, because Arceus knows I'm not." 

_How much should she say? Should she keep going, or-_

"But I still want to be someone they can be proud of. Y'know, they make me want to test myself, to push my limits, that sort of thing." 

Just being with Bede made her want to do more, to be more. To be stronger. To be someone he could rely on, the kind of Champion that would make him proud. 

"I… well, they're the type of friend that makes my life better just because they're a part of it," she admitted quietly. 

Her voice trailed off into silence. She burned from within, flushing from how shamelessly she'd said all that. 

And Bede wasn't saying anything. 

Gloria couldn't bear the silence any longer, and finally snapped her eyes up to look at him. He was resting his cheek on his knuckles again, eyes skipping away the second they met. 

"I see," he said. 

"That's- y'know, the- the type of stuff I appreciate in a friend!" 

Her cheeks blazed with heat. 

"Did… did I say something wrong? Was that too specific?" She pursed her lips as Bede glanced back at her. He took a sip of his tea, violet eyes searching hers. "Maybe that was a bit weird, I-I shouldn't have used you as an example." 

Bede choked. His eyes blew wide, he slammed his teacup down into its saucer, and broke into a coughing fit. 

"Are- Are you alright?!" 

She shot up out of her chair as Bede hacked into his hand. He waved her down frantically. 

"I- I'm-" he cleared his throat, coughed once more. "I'm fine."

Gloria sank back down. "Sorry. Guess I shouldn't have said that while you were drinking, huh?" 

Something akin to confusion swept across Bede's face. His brow slightly furrowed, a hint of a blush on his cheeks, he looked at her for a moment in silence. 

"Those things you said… they were about me?" 

"Y-Yeah," Gloria laughed sheepishly. "You were the only person I could think of, and since you were right in front of me, it just kinda happened." 

She shrugged. Her heart wedged higher in her throat. Pounded, fluttered, in her ears. 

_It was a bad idea to use Bede as an example. Why hadn't she used Hop? Or Marnie? Or anyone else-_

_What if she gave him the wrong idea by saying all that…?_

"I-I mean, everything I said was true, of course," she explained hurriedly. A panicked, embarrassed rush of blood to her face made it impossible to think. "But, y'know, I was saying stuff that- that I like about you as a friend. Not- Not because you're my type or anything-" 

Arceus, she shouldn't have said that. 

"Wait, no, it's because you're _not_ my type-" 

She couldn't stop. Words came out faster and faster, Bede blinking at her as she fumbled for an excuse. 

"I mean, you could be- or not, since I-I don't have a type or- or I don't know what my type is, it could be anyone, y'know!" 

"Gloria." 

She touched her hands to her cheeks, felt them burn. She'd said too much.

"Sorry. I don't… I'm not good with stuff like this…" It was all she could say to keep herself from rambling any further. She squeezed her eyes shut and buried her face into her hands in shame. "You know what I meant," she said quietly, her voice cracking. 

"I'm not sure I do." 

Gloria looked over the top of her fingers at him to see him smirking. She dropped her hands and pouted.

"Was that too complicated for you?" she huffed back.

"With you fumbling over your words like that?" He breathed a faint laugh. "I might need you to explain yourself properly, otherwise I won't know exactly what you meant. You contradicted yourself a few times there. How am I supposed to know whether I'm your type or not if you don't tell me clearly?" 

"Well then, I guess you'll never know!" She curled her lips out at him, folding her arms. "'Cause I'm not repeating myself." 

The sparkle of mirth in Bede's eyes twinkled brightly, unshed laughter warming his voice, his words. 

"That's a shame. I was looking forward to a repeat performance." 

Gloria rolled her eyes. "Sorry to disappoint you."

"Shall we continue? Or have you had your fill of embarrassment for one day?" 

She met his challenge, his taunt, with a determined stare. "Go on, then. Question two. Hit me." 

* * *

Gloria sighed heavily, sinking over the dinning table. Endless questions span in her mind, the weight of hours upon hours of practice finally getting to her. She hadn't realised how much time had passed until they stopped at the end of the fourth interview Bede had pulled questions from, and the exhaustion in her bones now made sense.

That, and she'd been awake since the crack of dawn. Too excited to complete her duties as Champion in a single day, she'd started as early as she could that morning, and was now paying the price.

"I'm done," she mumbled, planting her face into her arms on the table. "No more questions." 

"If you believe you're all set for tomorrow, then no more questions are required." Bede stood, his attention falling to the windows, where glowing mushrooms pierced the darkness outside. "I hadn't realised it'd gotten so late," he said. 

He sounded faint. Soft. Her eyelids felt heavier than before. She closed them. Took a deep breath, then another. Bede said something she couldn't catch. 

She was tired. 

So, so tired. 

The sound of her name reached her ears, then nothing else. 

Nothing at all. 

* * *

"Gloria?" 

He'd looked away from her for a second, just enough time to glance outside and realise that many more hours had passed than he'd expected, and she'd fallen asleep. At his dining table. Using her arms as a pillow, Gloria dozed away. She looked so at peace that he couldn't bring himself to disturb her, and sighed instead. 

He'd noticed the shadows beneath her eyes, the weariness on her face, hours ago, but hadn't comprehended just how exhausted she was beneath that. Gloria was the type of person to keep chugging away until she collapsed, as he'd done on multiple occasions before. He knew that, and hadn't pressed the issue. 

Now, with Gloria's exhaustion having caught up with her, he wished he'd said something earlier. 

Bede stepped over to her quietly, his expression softening when she let out a soft sigh. He swept a strand of hair off her cheek with the tip of his finger, curling it gently behind her ear so as to not wake her. 

"You don't have to push yourself so hard, you know?" he said to her, trailing his knuckles down the curve of her cheek. Slowly, he graced his thumb beneath her eye, where the evidence of her fatigue lay in a dark shadow. As though to remove it would be as simple as wiping it away with his thumb. 

His hand dropped to his side.

"You should have said something. Should have told me…" 

He sighed. He should have known. 

"I wouldn't have pushed you so hard, or for so long…" 

There was no point dwelling on that now. He couldn't change the past, couldn't fix his mistake. 

All he could do now, was let Gloria sleep. 

That was simple enough, and Bede gathered the teacups and teapot off the table and washed them up. He returned to Gloria when he'd finished drying them. 

"I don't believe the dining table is the most comfortable place to sleep," Bede mused. "I'd rather not wake you up, but…" 

She slept like a log, and he decided to use that to his advantage. 

"You'll have to forgive me for this," he said softly, pulling her into his arms. 

She sank into him, her head leaning against his shoulder, and didn't stir in the slightest. With a nudge of his foot, he opened the door to his room and strode inside. He lay Gloria down onto his bed as gently as he could, before pulling the blankets over her. She sighed deeply, and shifted to nuzzle her face into his pillow. The sight squeezed his heart. His lips twitched into a smile, a breathless whisper drawn from the depths of his lungs as he gazed down at her, enamoured. 

"Arceus, Gloria…" 

It didn't sound like him, too soft, too tender. But the words formed on his tongue, spoken to her as if his very thoughts had been given form at the mere sight of her sleeping so soundly in his bed. 

"Sleep well, my Champion." 

* * *

Faint sounds nudged Gloria from the depths of sleep. Whatever it was, it was too early, and she grumbled, frowned, and snuggled further into her blankets. A familiar scent filled her lungs. Her mind, fuzzy with sleep, couldn't place it at first. The scent was calming. It enveloped her, as if coming from all around her- from her blankets, her pillow, the air in her room. 

It smelt nice. She nuzzled her nose into her pillow and breathed it in, letting the scent seep into every nook, every crevice of her lungs. It made her heart flutter. Stirred memories from the back of her mind, conjuring forth moments of warmth, of tight hugs. 

Memories of being in Bede's embrace. 

Gloria frowned, pursing her lips together as a blush began to burn on her cheeks. Why had she suddenly thought of that? Of hugging Bede? She wrapped her arms around her pillow and squeezed it firmly as she buried her face into it. 

The scent. It reminded her of Bede. 

_No, it's more than that. This smells like..._

She snapped her eyes open. 

This wasn't her room. 

Gloria caught a gasp in her throat, stifled the sound of panic before she realised where exactly she was. Her eyes latched onto the Fairy Gym uniform top hanging off the handle of the closet right across from her. Three numbers emblazoned on the back. 

908.

She froze. From the tip of her toes, her fingers, to the top of her head, Gloria froze where she lay in Bede's bed. She couldn't breathe. Her heart thumped dangerously loud in her ears, deafening any and all thoughts. 

She had no memory of falling asleep, let alone in _Bede's bed._

_How-? Why-?_

_What's going on?!_

She swallowed. Her face burned with heat as she took in the sight of Bede's bedroom. It didn't matter how many times she blinked, it was still there. She was still here. 

In Bede's bed. 

_This- Does this mean-?_

_What does this mean?!_

She squeezed her eyes shut, sucked in a sharp breath. Slowly, she reached for her neck and tugged on the collar of her Champion's Uniform. She was still clothed. 

The fact that she'd even checked made her blush harder. 

_What was I thinking?!_ She chided herself, biting down on her lip in mortification. _Bede wouldn't- I wouldn't- Why would I even think that?! Just because I'm in his bed and don't remember anything doesn't mean we- we-_

_That doesn't mean we… what?_

An image of Bede, a memory, of him lying beside her flashed into her mind. His fingers caressing her cheek, sliding down, down, following the line of her jaw to her chin. To her lips. The touch of his thumb across her lower lip turned her blood into liquid fire.

_No, not a memory-_

_This was-_

_She wasn't-_

Gloria muffled her scream into his pillow. 

Bede's pillow. 

She jolted away from it in an instant, throwing the offending pillow across the room as though it had burned her. 

_That didn't happen. None of that happened!_

The vision of Bede's chest, bare beneath the blankets, stuck in her mind. 

_Why am I-?! What am I doing?!_

Every inch of her body burned. The tips of her fingers tingled and buzzed, her heart fluttering in her chest. 

_He's my friend…!_

She gripped her shirt, right over her pounding heart. Her breath caught. Hitched, high in her throat, becoming faster and sharper than before.

_I'm not-_

_Am I-_

_Sort of… attracted to him…?_

Her gasp broke the silence. Fingers trembled over her mouth, too late to stop it sounding. 

"Gloria?" 

"D-Don't come in here!" she shrieked at the door. Her heart lodged in her throat, made her feel sick. 

_Bede_. He was there, right outside the room. 

"Is everything alright?" 

The sound of his voice stirred her blood, sending jolts through her body. 

_Not now, he can't be here right now!_

"I- I'm just-" 

_This can't be happening…!_

"I'm not decent!" 

Silence. Nothing but the thumping of her heart in her ears. 

Then Bede's voice came again, quieter than before. "A-Alright, then." 

Something rough, as though he'd cleared his throat, sounded from behind the door. 

"Is… there anything you want for breakfast?" he asked. 

She couldn't think about anything right now, let alone food, when her mind was churning like her gut.

"I-I don't mind," she said quickly. "Anything is fine." 

"Okay. I'll have it ready soon." 

Gloria didn't move an inch until a minute of silence had passed. She crawled out from beneath the blankets and stood, stiff, in the middle of Bede's bedroom. She stared at a blank spot on the wall and nothing else. 

She still felt warm. Too warm, too fuzzy, unable to breathe properly. 

_This- This is all because of those stupid questions from yesterday…!_

Why else would she suddenly feel like this towards Bede? Sure, she'd admitted to herself that he was gorgeous, he'd definitely made her heart skip on more occasions than she could count, but that didn't mean she was attracted to him in any way, right? 

She couldn't calm down. Her heart raced at an uncomfortable pace, her nerves alight throughout her body. 

_I can't be…_

She caught sight of herself in the mirror atop Bede's dresser. Flushed from her neck to her ears. Eyes wide, lips trembling. 

How could she deny it, when the truth was staring right back at her? 

She was attracted to Bede. 

Gloria's heart flopped into her stomach. 

_What- What am I supposed to do now?_

She squeezed her eyes shut, and pressed her palms to her flushed cheeks. 

It didn't mean she _liked_ him, not in that way, just because she was attracted to him. This wasn't- it couldn't be any more than some surface level crush, if she was even willing to call it that. 

_Right?_

So many emotions surged through her. Confusion, fear, disbelief. 

Disappointment, a flash of anger for even thinking for a moment that she'd fallen for Bede. 

She wouldn't.

She couldn't. Not now, not ever. 

Not even if it was Bede, she couldn't allow herself to feel like that towards anyone. It was the one promise she wouldn't ever break. 

Gloria opened her eyes to find that nothing had changed. The earth remained beneath her feet. The walls remained standing, her face still flushed in the mirror. 

She'd escaped the earth-shattering revelation that had brought so much fear to her heart. 

Whatever she felt towards Bede, it wasn't _that._

She was still safe. Still okay. 

She could still breathe. 

Gloria rubbed her face with her palms furiously, trying to snap herself back to reality. Regardless that she'd saved herself from a world of hurt and grief, she still had to deal with the fact that she was definitely, undeniably, attracted to Bede. 

And she was in his bedroom, having slept overnight in his bed. 

_Arceus. What was she going to do?_

There was only so much she could fake at once, and with the way her pulse stammered and fluttered at the mere thought of facing him, she doubted that she could go out there without a plan and not have him notice something was up. 

He always seemed to notice when something was up. That thought made her heart swell, and she quickly shook it away. She needed to compose herself. Bede was her friend- that much hadn't changed overnight. He'd be understanding if she was, say, embarrassed about having slept in his bed, right? 

She could work with that. Her face was flushed enough that she definitely _looked_ embarrassed. All she had to do was get through breakfast without incident. Simple. 

Gloria cleared her throat and took a deep breath. 

She could do this. 

* * *

Her heart betrayed her the second she opened the door, thumping at the sight of Bede by the stove. He'd tied back his hair, a tiny ponytail poking out from beneath the bandana he'd secured over the rest of his curls. He turned slightly at the sound of his bedroom door opening, a smile lifting his lips when he saw her. 

"Good morning," he said.

He shifted his attention back to the stove, and Gloria swallowed thickly. He'd pulled back his fringe, pinned it beneath his bandana. The apron he wore was one she recognised, the embroidered letters spelling "kiss the cook" now hidden from sight. 

She pursed her lips, and instantly regretted doing that as the sensation, the light pressure across her lips, made her recall all the times Bede had been close enough to kiss. 

The times she'd thought he'd been about to kiss her. 

Arceus. She felt lightheaded. Dizzy. She shouldn't be thinking about that- about kissing her friend, even if she was somewhat attracted to him.

She grimaced, knowing Bede would be horrified with her, if not outright disgusted, had he found out where her mind had gone. 

Now, more than ever, she needed to get a hold of herself. 

"M-Morning," she said. She flinched at the crack in her voice, and forced herself to head over to the kitchen. 

She reached the dining table and couldn't go further.

"How did I…?" She cleared her throat. "I don't remember falling asleep." 

"I carried you to my bed, if that's what you're asking," Bede said, deftly shifting a crêpe from the frypan to a growing pile on the plate beside him. "You fell asleep on the table. The crêpes are ready, by the way. You can fill them with anything you want." 

He gestured to the ingredients he had lined up on the counter beside the stove. Beside him. Which meant Gloria had to approach him in order to get her breakfast. 

"What about you?" she asked, unable to bring herself to move just yet. "Where did you sleep, since I took your bed…?" 

"I had work that needed completing." He shrugged. 

"Are you saying you didn't sleep at all?" She balked, storming over to him. "Bede!" 

"It's fine. Not like I would've gotten much sleep on the couch, anyway." He grinned, nonplussed by her frown. "This way, I put the hours of sleeplessness to good use. Better than squandering it by doing nothing." 

She pouted at him. "You should've woken me up!" Gloria huffed. 

"Your interview is in a few hours," he reminded her. "If either of us needed a good sleep, it was you." 

Enticing strawberries, a can of whipped cream, chocolate shavings, maple syrup, an array of delectable goodies spread out on the counter before Gloria, and she grumbled. It was hard to be miffed with Bede when he'd prepared this. She shoved a bit of everything into her crêpe and attempted to fold the overstuffed pancake. 

"Still… I feel bad for stealing your bed," she mumbled. 

Gloria took her plate and flopped into a chair at the dining table. Cream squeezed out both ends when she took a bite of her crêpe. She licked it off her fingers, plucking an escaping strawberry before it dropped into her lap, and flicked it into her mouth. 

"You don't have to feel bad about that," Bede said. "I didn't mind in the slightest, and it was easy enough to move you when you sleep like a log." 

Gloria pouted at his back, glaring at him between bites of her crêpe. He glanced over his shoulder at her when she threw a blueberry into her mouth, and almost choked on it when he smirked. 

"Wh-What?" she barked. 

Why was he looking at her like that? 

"You make just as much of a mess when you eat as Togepi," he said with a laugh. 

"It's not my fault, the cream's going everywhere!" 

"You're the one who stuffed it full of cream."

Bede shook his head with mirth, and stalked swiftly over to her. Before she could react, he swept his thumb over the corner of her mouth. The touch made Gloria jolt. She sharply recoiled away from him with a gasp. He blinked at her for a moment, at her reaction, before drawing his thumb, a dollop of cream on the tip of his finger, to his lips. 

Heat surged through Gloria's body. 

"Wh-What are you doing?!" she gaped, slapping her hand over the corner of her mouth that he'd touched. 

"Well, since you weren't eating it, and I'd rather not waste food-" 

"You could've just told me it was there!" She rubbed the side of her lips, the spot tingling as though his touch had electrified her nerves. 

How was she supposed to pretend that she wasn't attracted to him in the slightest when he did things like this? Her heart couldn't take it. 

Bede grinned at her and sauntered back to the stove. "And miss that reaction? I think not." 

"Why do you…?!" she cut herself off with a grumble. She knew how much he enjoyed getting a reaction from her, and it made her heart flutter dangerously fast. 

He wasn't making this easy for her at all. 

At least she could blame her reactions, the flush on her cheeks, to his teasing. 

"Are you still trying to get me back for freaking you out in the Wild Area?" she asked, sending him a disgruntled look as he clicked off the stove and took a crêpe of his own. 

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not." Bede sat opposite her, taking a bite of his delicately filled crêpe. "Perhaps I'm merely making the most of my rival's weakness so that I'll have you under my thumb the next time we battle?" 

She scoffed. "As if. I'd like to see you try something like this across the pitch in front of thousands of people." 

"Is that a challenge?" 

His dangerous smirk made her heart thump, and stop, for a split second. 

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't," she replied. 

Bede lifted an eyebrow, a curious look coming over his face. Gloria quickly shoved the rest of her crêpe in her mouth to give herself an excuse to stand and get out of his line of sight. She'd instinctively replied to him without thinking about it, and the thought of Bede trying something like _that_ in the middle of a match, in front of a crowded stadium, in front of cameras projecting them to the world, sent her heart racing again. 

She absently filled up her crêpe - with less ingredients this time - before returning to her seat. Surprisingly, despite the fact that Bede had said he'd stayed up all night, he didn't seem tired at all. There was light in his violet eyes, a warmth to his smile. He was the same as always, if not brighter. Kinder. It settled the nerves in her stomach, and she found herself relaxing somewhat. 

Dealing with Bede, talking to him, after the realisation that she was attracted to him - at least physically - was easier than she thought. She always reacted strangely when he teased her, and he couldn't tell that her heart, her emotions, were reacting any differently than usual. 

Perhaps… she needn't have worried about it at all. 

"And what are you smiling about now?" Bede asked.

Gloria blinked at him, her mouth full of her crêpe, and frowned. She chewed, swallowed, and asked, "was I smiling?" 

"You were." 

She hadn't realised. "I-I was just thinking that this is a great way to start the morning," she said, scrambling for something to say. "I wouldn't mind waking up to this every day." 

"Hmm." Bede glanced away from her as he ate. 

Had she said something strange again? 

"I'm not kidding," Gloria continued, "these crêpes are amazing. You didn't have to go to all this trouble, but you did, and I…" 

She didn't know where she was going with this, and her cheeks began to heat up as she spoke. 

"I… don't know how to thank you," she ended up saying. "For this, and helping me yesterday, letting me sleep in your bed…" 

"You don't have to do anything to thank me. It's natural that I help you out. We're friends."

Except, somehow, it felt like more than that. 

* * *

It wasn't long until Gloria had eaten her fill - and more - and she gathered her bag to leave. She still had a good hour or two until she needed to be in Wyndon for the interview, which was more than enough time to go home, have a shower, and mentally prepare herself for what was to come.

"Thanks for everything, Bede," she said as her Sky Taxi landed outside. "I feel like I can handle anything that gets thrown at me in the interview now." 

"You're very much welcome, then." 

And there it was again- the light in his eyes, the softening of his smile, a world away from the princely smile he reserved for his fans. 

She preferred this smile, his natural smile. It was then that she realised that although he'd never used his Prince Charming smile on her, she'd never seen him smile like this for anyone else. Not his fans, not the Gym Trainers, not Ms Opal. 

No one else but her. 

Her heart stammered. She took a breath, slid her eyes from him as she suddenly felt exposed. Her mind was getting away from her again. Seeing things that weren't there, reading too much into it, and her composure was slipping. Her cheeks were warming. 

This smile of Bede's, his natural smile, was more dangerous than anything else in the world in that moment. 

"I'll see you later, then," she said hurriedly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She went to move for the door when Bede stepped closer. Instinctively, she froze. 

She hadn't planned on this. On a hug. To be so close to him after everything that had happened, after the events of yesterday and the tumultuous morning she'd struggled through, it sent sparks shooting through her body. 

Bede pulled her into a hug, and she clamped her eyes shut as the sensation of being in his arms overcame her. He was warm and solid, and Arceus- his scent filled her lungs like it had when she'd woken up, and everything came surging back. She returned his embrace before she could think about it, and it was too late. She couldn't stop it. She couldn't stop the heat from rising across her face or the breathless sigh from escaping her lips. 

It was when Bede moved to pull away that Gloria realised that she'd made a mistake. She was blushing too hard. Her heart was in her throat, and she couldn't breathe right. 

She couldn't let him see her like this, so she locked her arms around his back, and kept her head nuzzled against his collarbones. A breath hitched by her ear. 

"G-Gloria?" 

Arceus. The stammer of Bede's voice sent another wave of heat crashing over her. 

"Just- Just a bit longer," she managed to say. 

She was only making things worse, her heart thumping like a drum in her ears. Bede's arms returned around her, and the sensation of his hands sliding across her back made her shudder. 

_Oh, Arceus._

_Sweet Arceus._

There's no way Bede wouldn't have felt that. 

"Are you cold?" he asked, his voice fainter than before. Fainter and tighter, almost strained. 

He held her closer. Pulling her firmer against him, and she bit back a gasp. 

He was the one making things worse now. 

She wanted to scream. His hugs were already too damn nice to begin with, but now that she was indescribably drawn to him, to everything about him, she couldn't hide the effect he was having on her. 

If her heart beat any louder, he'd be able to hear it- or worse, feel it. 

"Y-Yeah, just a tad," she replied. 

Gloria quickly pulled out of his embrace before she got too addicted to his warmth. Her eyes skipped everywhere around the room, unable to bring herself to even look at him, and she shot a step back. Towards the door, towards freedom. 

"Th-Thanks for everything," she said again. "I-I should get going now." 

She whirled on her heels and fled Ms Opal's house before Bede had a chance to reply. The journey home was a blur, she didn't remember speaking to the Sky Taxi driver at all, and soon collapsed in a heap on her bed. 

Her heart hadn't calmed down at all, the flush on her cheeks remaining strong. 

She buried her face in her pillow, muffling an incoherent scream. 

This was bad. Really, really bad. 

She couldn't be attracted to Bede. Not like this, not so strongly. He was her friend, for Arceus' sake.

And yet… his hug had felt so nice. Everything she'd said about him the day before rang true in her mind. The way she'd described him, as though describing her type. 

The kind of person she was attracted to. 

And here she was. Attracted to him. 

Although it was a different kind of _attracted,_ not the kind that made her throat constrict with fear, it still didn't seem right. It was strange. Confusing. She might not be _in love_ with Bede, but it felt like a type of betrayal to have her heart latch on to him like this. She'd always known he was gorgeous in a way that made her jealous sometimes and speechless at others, but never before had he had this effect on her.

It felt as though every inch of her body was fluttering away like her heart. She'd never felt like this before. Warm and dizzy, although not unpleasantly. It wasn't a bad feeling, not even close, and she squeezed her eyes shut to focus on it. 

The looming interview was the furthest thing from her mind that morning. Instead of running through the questions again in her mind, her thoughts were elsewhere. Instead of practicing her answers, she was busy practicing something else, something more important. 

The survival of her friendship with Bede could possibly depend on it, and so Gloria practiced maintaining her composure. Masking her thoughts, her attraction, towards a certain someone. She couldn't very well blush at the mere sight - or thought - of Bede. 

She had to practice. 

Because, after all, practice makes perfect. And she wouldn't settle for anything less. 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm gonna go bury myself now I'M SORRY, I KNOW A LOT OF YOU WERE PROBABLY EXPECTING A LOT MORE AFTER GLORIA'S REALISATION BUT OF COURSE NOT, THERE'S NO WAY SHE'S GONNA REALISE THAT SHE'S ACTUALLY /IN LOVE/ WITH BEDE RATHER THAN JUST ATTRACTED TO HIM COS HE'S GORGEOUS SO EASILYYYYYY 
> 
> and that's why im gonna hide under a rock and wait for the storm i just created to pass ;V; pls dont be mad at me omg ITS A SLOW BURN FOR A REASON


End file.
